SIR ANISH KAPOOR, one of the most influential figures in contemporary art, received the top honour at the Eastern Eye Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards (ACTA) in London on Friday (26).
Sir Anish won the award for outstanding contribution to the creative industries at the annual celebration of Asian creative talent, hosted by the Asian Media Group, publishers of Eastern Eye and Garavi Gujarat news weeklies.
Other top winners were Arti Shah and James Hameed, who collected the trailblazer award for Paddington the Musical.
Best actress Krishnendu Majumdar with winner Aasiya Shah.EE
In total, 21 awards were presented at the event, held at the May Fair Hotel in London, with guests from the arts, media, entertainment and culture sectors attending.
In total, 21 awards were presented at the event.EE
An exhibition of Sir Anish’s works is on at London’s Hayward Gallery at the Southbank Centre.
His sculptures and installations have filled some of the world’s most significant spaces, including the Grand Palais in Paris, Chicago’s Millennium Park, the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Winners on the night included Aasiyah Shah, who collected the best actress award in the Film, TV & Drama category for her performance in Believe Me.
Crime fiction winners from left: Vaseem Khan Imran Mahmood Abir MukherjeeEE
Veteran actor Nitin Ganatra, who delivered a widely praised performance in the crime drama Apnas, was named best actor. He plays Aslam Khan, a calm and principled taxi driver and father, caught in the emotional strain of trying to steer his son away from the influence of crime.
Naz Shah MP was awarded the editor’s special award for her memoir Honoured: Survival, Strength and My Path to Politics, while the British Museum received the award for community engagement for its exhibition, Ancient India: Living Traditions.
Editors special award was collected on behalf of Naz Shah MP.EE
In theatre, Raj Ghatak won the best actor award for his role as Carmen Ghia in The Producers, where his performance was noted for its comic timing and energy.
Best actor stage winner Raj Ghatak's trophy was collected by his father.EE
Shobu Kapoor was recognised for her performance in Sweetmeats at the Bush Theatre with the best actress prize.
Renowned sitarist and composer Anoushka Shankar was the winner in the contemporary music category.
Arts winners, from left: Sundaram Tagore, Divia Patel, NoltieEE
Other winners included Ameet Chana (best director), Pravesh Kumar (best scriptwriter), Chandra Chakraborty (music – traditional), Kavi Pau (emerging artist), Nikki Bedi (best presenter), Rana Dasgupta (history) and Imran Mahmood (crime fiction).
Eastern Eye editor-at-large and chairman of the ACTA judging panel, Amit Roy, said: “Our arts awards are meant achieve more of a level playing field and to inspire dreams and appeal to the imagination.”
Eastern Eye editor-at-large and chairman of the ACTA judging panel, Amit Roy.EE
Nihal Arthanayake hosted the event, which was supported by the Arts Council, Edwardian Hotels and the Yusuf & Farida Hamied Foundation.
